Reserves Round 3 Wrap Up

Round 3 saw our Falcons Reserves swoop back from their previous loss to flap their first win on the tally board against Subiaco Lions at Leederville Oval. Our jumpers were freshly sanitised, our limbs were tightly strapped, and the grass on Leederville Oval looked ready to be clobbered by the spikes on our footy boots. And we didn’t disappoint dishing up a clobbering by 39-points.

Before the players hit the grass the coaches spoke about the importance of using their voices to keep each other informed and direct the play.  Our midfield found their voices immediately, directing the ball away from the centre bounce and into the hands of Chelsea Doolan, confidently slotting our first. From there the midfield sent the ball forward again to Courtney Collard who spun on her pointe shoe and cleared to Scovia Anzoa. Anzoa kicked long to Chloe Metcalf on the lead, and she was able to gather and goal, landing our second of the quarter. We peppered the big sticks like a snapper fillet for the remainder of the quarter but we weren’t quite able to convert.

The Lions decided to tie their manes back in the second quarter and came out looking more like serious business. We were kept goalless but the Lion’s defensive structures were put to work with Kristen Jayasuria delivering with precision into our 50 like a Cyndi Lauper ballad, time after time. At the other end of the ground, our defensive structures were finally tested around the 13-minute mark when the Lions surged forward, only to be cut off by Dixie Corcoran and Trish Medwin who cleverly held up the ball until reinforcements arrived. The first half of our game was hands-down or ‘spikes-first’ dominated by Cameron Dawson as she won endless ruck clearances and moved tirelessly across the ground providing marking options.

Buoyed by our strong start and keen to break through for goals, the third quarter saw a swathe of 6-points added to the scoreboard. Tia Smith moved into the ruck to work in tandem with Dawson, and her expert communication proved invaluable. With Erin O’Brien finding her way out of any rabbit hole (when she wasn’t taking glorious hangers) and Kelly Keane continuing to punch through packs, our forwards were overwhelmed with opportunity. Amy Montgomery hit the big sticks first, followed by Doolan who gathered off the deck for a sneaky snap, and finally, Collard lined up for one of her own. Collard slotted the ball hard through goals despite the banshee roar of the Lions’ defender. If the grouting in the entrance to the oval was already loose, it’ll have fully disintegrated now.

The final quarter saw our greener players embrace the Falcons’ fighting spirit as they continued to pressure and tackle intensely, led by Tia Bergin and Zoe Panagopoulos. Their defensive efforts were supported by Jaymee Duke who foiled many an offensive attempt by the Lions. The ball managed to bounce in and out of our 50 unrewarded until Metcalf spotted her chance to move in from the right pocket, gather the loose ball, and goal. Considering Metcalf had more attention drawn to her in the second half, nailing the last goal was worth looking like she’d gone five rounds of a UFC title match.

Everything came together for our Womens Reserves team against Subiaco Lions, and we’re primed to take on our next big cat at home on Sunday against Claremont Tigers.